Wall construction



R. B. TUFTS WAL'Z CONSTRUCTION Filed July 1..

Sept. 14 1926.-

Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

UNITED STATES ROBERT n. TUFTS, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

WALL CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed July 1,

This invention relates to wall construction and has special reference toseawalls. The objects of the invention are to produce a wall which willhave a wider base, per unit of material used, than'walls heretoforeconstructed thereby increasing the resistance to overturning forces, toreduce the form work employed, and to minimize the delays ordinarily dueto storms and waves. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully described, thenovel features being particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a seawallshowing different stages in the development;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section;

Figure 4 is a detail perspective of a bottom cross tie Figure 5 is asimilar view of an upper cross tie;

Figure 6 is a similar view of a longitudinal beam.

In the practice of the invention, a row of interlocking sheet piling 1is driven along the line of the toe of the contemplated wall to a depthbelow the low water line and located where it will be likely to remainsubmerged in the sand. A capping wall 2 of concrete is then cast inplace alon the top edge of the piling and embedding the same, as shownin Fig. 3. At the proper distance back of the capping wall and at equalintervals along the length of the proposed wall or embankment, concretefootings 3 are cast to form the base supports for the back of the wall.Previous to or simultaneous with the described operations, beams, asshown at 5 and 6, of reenforced concrete are cast in molds so that bythe time the capping Wall 2 and the footings 3 have set, the ties andbeams will be thoroughly hardened and ready to be placed in position.The lowest tie, 5, is formed with a recess 7 in its under side at itsfront end whereby it is adapted to rest on the capping wall and abut therear side thereof, and a tie is placed in position at each footing 3with its rear end resting centrally upon the footing and its frontsupported by the capping wall, as shown in Figure 3, the proportions ofthe parts preferably being such that the topof the capping wall is belowthe mean low tide such as shown at 4, and cross ties, such 1925. SerialNo. 40,859. I

level while tops of the cross tiesare above such level. In the upperside of the cross tie 1 overhanging the sides of the ties, it beingeconomically advantageous to have the rear beams bridge only thealternate bays definedv V by the ties. After the beams 4 are in place,

the cross ties 6 are placed upon the beams in vertical alinement withthe ties 5 and itwill be noted that the ties 6 are identical with theties 5 in construction except that a recess 9 is formed in the undersideof the tie 6 adjacent its rear end in order to engage over and lock withthe rear beam. A second row of beams is then placed in position and thisalternate arrangement of beams and ties is repeated until a crib of thedesired height has been formed. It will be noted that the cross tiessuccessively decrease in length upwardly and while the rear ends of theties are in the same vertical plane, in any cross section of the crib,the front ends are in stepped relation, the structure thus far describedpresenting open spaces between the successive risers in the steppedfront of the crib.

With a suflicient length of the crib or skeleton wall completed, formsof false work are placed in position at the front ends of the ties andconcrete is poured into the same to form the intermediate steps 10 andthe top pair of steps 11, earth being filled in back of the steps, afterthe poured steps have set, to cover from view all the back beams and allthe cross ties except the stepped ends that project through the front.The poured steps automatically key themselves to and between the precaststeps and completely close the spaces in the front of the wall betweenthe beams and cross ties. Inasmuch as the successive sets of cross tiesdecrease in length by equal amounts, the front face of the finished wallhas the effect of ordinary concrete steps.

It will be readily seen that this construction gives a wider base thanis obtainable from the same amount of material with the Letters-Patent,is

1. A retaining wall comprising transverse crossties of precast concretearranged in vertical series, precast concrete longitudinally extendingbeams resting on lower ties and supporting upper ties whereby both beamsand ties will be spaced vertically, and

longitudinally extending beams poured between the first-mentioned beamsadjacent the front ends of the ties whereby to close the spaces in thefront of the Wall and intimately unite the beams and ties therein.

2. A retaining Wall comprising vertical series of concrete cross tieshaving their front ends in stepped relation, concrete beams supported bylower cross ties near the ends of the ties and supporting upper crossties, and bonding members uniting the front ends of the cross ties andthe front beams in stepped form and closing the spaces between the frontbeams.

3. A retaining Wall comprising a submerged line of sheet piling, acapping wall extending along and embedding the top of the piling,footings at the rear of the capping wall, concrete cross ties resting attheir front ends upon the capping wall and at their rear ends upon therespective footings, longitudinal concrete beams resting upon the crossties, series of alternating ties and beams of concrete superposed uponthe firstmentioned beams, the ties regularly decreasing in lengthupwardly whereby their front ends and the front beams are disposed instepped relation, and bonding members closing the spaces between thefront ends :of the tics and the front beams and integrally connectingsaid beams and ties.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

ROBERT B, rUFT-sf

